Celebrities

After 6 Years, R. Kelly Trial Begins

After a six-year delay, jury selection began today in Chicago in the child pornography trial of R&B star R. Kelly. Kelly, 41, whose full name is Robert Kelly, is accused of having sex on videotape with a girl as young as 13, although the alleged victim, now 23, denies that…

May 9, 2008 6:45 PM CDT

Man Convicted of Stalking Uma Thurman Was Once a ‘Golden’ Boy

Jack Jordan, convicted of stalking Uma Thurman, was once a happy, easygoing boy who was a competitive swimmer with ambitions of becoming a neurosurgeon. Jordan’s mother, Beth Jordan, spoke with the New York Times in hopes that her son would get the psychiatric treatment he needs when he is sentenced…

May 8, 2008 1:31 PM CDT

Claimed $12K Coat Caper Alleged to Involve Lindsay Lohan

The fur is flying in New York over a Columbia University student’s claim that her $12,000 sheared blond mink temporarily disappeared at the same time that actress Lindsay Lohan allegedly was snapped in a series of photographs wearing a seemingly identical coat. Although the coat was mysteriously returned to the…

May 7, 2008 8:58 PM CDT

Lawyer Juror Helped Persuade Reporter to Convict Uma Thurman’s Stalker

Wall Street Journal reporter Emily Steel served as a juror in the trial of drifter Jack Jordan, accused of stalking and harassing actress Uma Thurman. Writing about her experience, Steel says she decided to convict Jordan of stalking after hearing an argument advanced by a fellow juror who is a…

May 7, 2008 10:57 AM CDT

Drifter Convicted of Stalking Uma Thurman

A drifter accused of stalking actress Uma Thurman has been convicted by a New York jury. Jack Jordan was convicted of fourth-degree stalking and second-degree aggravated harassment, People Magazine reports. But he was acquitted of two other counts of second-degree aggravated harassment, the New York Times reports. Jordan had testified…

May 6, 2008 4:41 PM CDT

Mildred Loving, Who Challenged Interracial Marriage Ban, Dies

A woman who made history by challenging Virginia’s ban on interracial marriage has died. Mildred Loving died at the age of 68, her daughter told the Associated Press. Mildred and Richard Loving were newlyweds when they were arrested in 1958 and convicted of violating the marriage law. Mildred was black…

May 5, 2008 5:45 PM CDT

123 Celebrity Jurors Tallied in New York

New York has seen its share of celebrity jurors, from Woody Allen to Paula Zahn. Vincent Homenick, the chief clerk of the jury division for New York County, has an alphabetized four-page list of 123 celebrity jurors. The New York Times’ City Room blog lists the Ts: Twyla Tharp, Uma…

May 2, 2008 2:02 PM CDT

Jury Mulls Whether Private Investigator Wiretapped Celebrities

Jurors in Los Angeles began deliberations yesterday in the prosecution of private eye Anthony Pellicano, accused of illegally gathering information and wiretapping celebrities such as Garry Shandling and Keith Carradine. Charges against Pellicano include racketeering, conspiracy, wire fraud, identity theft and bribery, the Los Angeles Times reports. Four co-defendants are…

May 2, 2008 11:53 AM CDT

Celebrity Domestic Case: Dennis Rodman

One of basketball’s best-known badly behaved professional players has been charged in a California domestic violence case. Former NBA star Dennis Rodman was arrested at a Century City hotel last night and booked today for allegedly hitting an unidentified woman. He was released on $50,000 bail, reports the Los Angeles…

May 1, 2008 10:05 PM CDT

Celebrity Foreclosure Case: Jose Canseco

The national mortgage meltdown is reportedly affecting even major league baseball stars. Jose Canseco, 43, who retired from MLB in 2001, told Inside Edition he has lost his Encino, Calif., home after the TV show reported that it had foreclosure documents showing he owed $2.5 million on it, reports Reuters.…

May 1, 2008 9:48 PM CDT

Lawsuit That Claimed J. Lo Stole TV Show Idea Gets Tossed

A New York federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit that claimed Jennifer Lopez helped steal an idea for a television show called South Beach. Writer Jack Bunick claimed the show South Beach that aired briefly on UPN was based on his idea. But U.S. District Judge Richard Berman said there…

May 1, 2008 3:36 PM CDT

Mickey Sherman, Unplugged

With his regular gigs on several news networks, it’s easy to forget that talking legal head Mickey Sherman actually practices law for a living—his office is in Stamford, Conn. And it’s his experience in the courtroom, defending real people accused of real crimes, that makes his first foray into nonfiction—a…

May 1, 2008 1:03 PM CDT

Appeals Court Halves $30M Verdict Against Robert Blake

A California appeals court has cut in half a $30 million verdict against actor Robert Blake awarded to the estate of his murdered wife, Bonny Lee Bakley. Blake was acquitted of the murder but found liable for the 2001 death in a civil suit. The appellate court said the award…

Apr 28, 2008 12:42 PM CDT

Wesley Snipes to Appeal 3-Year Term; Case a Warning to Others

Three consecutive one-year prison terms might seem like a hefty price to pay for misdemeanor convictions for failing to file a tax return. But when the defendant is a famous Hollywood actor who allegedly failed to pay millions in taxes, the public needs to see that justice is being done,…

Apr 25, 2008 3:20 PM CDT

Judge Refuses Request for More Openness in R. Kelly Trial

A Chicago judge has refused a media request to open pretrial proceedings in the prosecution of singer R. Kelly on a child-pornography charge. Judge Vincent Gaughan has ousted reporters from some pretrial hearings in the case against Kelly, who is accused of videotaping himself having sex with an underage girl,…

Apr 25, 2008 12:01 PM CDT